


Chasing Angels

by NormieScum



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Drabble, F/F, Implied Pricefield, Max's retrospective, Sacrifice Chloe Ending, TW: Suicide, Vent Writing, character exploration, makes 0 sense, pricefield, sacrifice chloe, tw: depression
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-30
Updated: 2017-01-02
Packaged: 2018-09-13 11:20:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9121291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NormieScum/pseuds/NormieScum
Summary: ❝But the way you've been going, you'll be in an early grave.❞





	1. Hiraeth

**Author's Note:**

> Vent-write about how Max deals with what happens in the "Sacrifice Chloe" ending. I hate this ending and I didn't even pick it myself but it is the perfect opportunity for some angst and crying. (◡﹏◡✿) The lyrics used are from "5 a.m." By Amber Run, it's like my go to Pricefield song. And the other italicized quotations used are from in-game lines. This is basically just me trying to cope with how hooked on this ship I am and I wanted to get the angst out of my system so I could start writing fluff for them. The ending was kinda improvised because I was trying to stay in character and do justice by Max since she's pretty complex when you get into it. Also this was 90% fueled by the unused "Au Revoir" audio I just heard, kms.

It was painfully heartbreaking being back in the bathroom where Max knew she’d have to witness the love of her life die again. She’d witnessed the act multiple time this week and each time got harder to experience. There was a gut-wrenching pain in her chest, and she was struck with the urge to throw up as soon as she saw the blue butterfly. She couldn’t help but feel like she was making the wrong choice as her back rested against the cold metal of the bathroom stall. Her hands cupped over her mouth but all she wanted to do was scream. The hot tears were already streaming down her cheeks and she let out a silent sob into the palm of her hand.

When she heard the door slam open, her knees buckled and she slid to the floor in a defeated heap of herself. The agonizing reality of how alone she’d be was starting to overcome her. She tried to focus on all of the moments they’d had, memorizing the obscure details about Chloe as if she’d forget them. She knew she never would.

She wanted to remember the way her best friend looked in the pool that night, the way Chloe’s nose scrunched up in disgust at the strong scent of chlorine.

To remember the hitch in the blue haired female’s voice the moment after she’d kissed her. How eager Chloe had been in that moment. The way she tasted like cigarettes and coffee. These cliché details seemed almost surreal at this point and as much as it hurt to remember, she forced herself to.

The gunshot, she heard it ring out and it pulled it from her hopeless daydreaming. The sound of Chloe’s voice hitting the floor caused Max’s body to completely freeze and she balled her fists tightly; her nails digging into the palms of her hands. She tried to force herself to stay hidden but it wasn’t long before she was scrambling across the bathroom tiles to her partner’s side. Nathan, still in the corner in shock, was the least of Max’s worries despite how dangerous he’d proven himself to be.

Within seconds, Chloe was scooped into her arms. Her shallow breathing was unnoticeable and it was difficult for Max not to assume she was already dead.

But when she saw the roll of her hazy blue eyes, she choked.

“Oh god Chloe…what’d I do to you!?” Max screamed, choking and sniveling through her words. “I regret it already. I wanna take it back-” The injured girl attempts to say anything but chokes up blood instead.

The reality hits Max that Chloe is going to die and if she dies now, she’ll never know how much she loved her. About their kiss. About the amazing week they’d spent together in hell.

“Listen to me Chloe…I love you, I’m /so/ sorry I left you. I missed you so much. I can’t have you die without knowing I loved you, I’ll always love you.” As if struck by a train, Chloe goes wide-eyed and its then that Max can see how much pain she’s in. But she almost seems at ease now. Watching someone die is hard enough but with her, it’s insufferable.

Max strokes one of her hands through the locks of shaggy blue hair and when she looks down, she notices Chloe’s eyes are half lidded now. Barely alive, Chloe lays limp in her arms.

“I’ll always remember you.” Max reassures, their last conversation ringing in her ears and making her chest ache. “I love you,” She mutters again, in tears once again. The brunette can no longer be the strong one in this, but now she has to be.

It feels like it’s been hours but it hasn’t been over a minute before David crashes into the bathroom. A look of horror in his eyes when he realizes his step-daughter lying dead in Max’s arms. She cradles Chloe closer, ignoring the blood that she’s covered in. It’s selfish, but she’s made a mistake. It’d always been the two of them, even when they were apart. Chloe was the anchor that kept Max weighted in Arcadia Bay and now she was gone.

She didn’t try to use her powers for a long time, months even. Every time Joyce showed Max old photos of Chloe, she was tempted to but in an attempt to keep everyone safe, she didn’t.

 But the doubt never left her mind, she’d made the wrong decision.

“ _Max, don’t be sad I’m never leaving you.”_

  The memories of what could’ve been drowned out the reality she was living in and all of this just seemed pointless now. She knew grieving took time but she wasn’t even grieving, she was looking for a solution to the problem. She just couldn’t be gone for good.

Chloe and Rachel’s hideout had become a sort of sanctuary for Max. She’s cleaned it up a bit, most of the graffiti is gone but she got rid of one piece that said “I want to die”. It might’ve seemed grossly overdone but the girl painted a blue butterfly over the thick black lettering. She followed up by painting, “I wanted you to live” overtop. Sometimes, she even thought she could sense Chloe and Rachel there. As much as she wanted to save her sanity and say she was just being dramatic, she knew she wasn’t. She knew Chloe was there. She was with her wherever she went.

 She sat on the raggedy couch with her guitar propped in her lap and her journal opened up on the makeshift table in front of her. All of the entries about Chloe remained and she had a habit of reading them even though the memories always made her cry. The outdated boom box on the floor was softly playing a mix tape she’d made with the intention of giving to Chloe. Her journal was full of different song titles written on various pages that she’d finally put together. The ashtray full of cigarette butts had a half-finished cigarette in it, to which Max slowly reached out to light with the lighter she kept in her pocket, Chloe’s. She wasn’t a smoker, but the smell calmed her. Strumming a few chords along to the gentle music, she stared blankly at burning cigarette before her. The smoke churning in a steady stream; causing her eyes to narrow as she felt a tinge of irritating pain.

_‘You don’t know who to love until you’re lost--’_

Max remembers most fondly, the memories of when they were alone together. The moments she’ll never get back, not only because Chloe’s gone but also because they technically never existed. In this reality, they never really existed. Max struggled, wanting to desperately explain to everyone around her how much she loved Chloe but they could never understand.

 _’And you don’t know how to feel until the moment past,’_  

“Au revoir, Chloe.” Max’s body shutters and she feels immediately sick. She did this, she killed her.

The doubts, all-consuming, became too much to bare and she found immediate comfort in the idea of going back. Changing things in favor of Chloe’s life. She didn’t care who she damned at this point, she’d seen what happened if she’d lived and now that she’d seen what happened when she died; she preferred her to be alive. Instead of looking for a possibly regrettable out of this hell, she grabbed the truck keys out of her pocket and abandoned the room aside from her journal. She’d taken over Chloe’s truck, a gift from Joyce. Even if it was a piece of junk, it was a huge part of her memories of her best friend and she’d never let it go to anyone else.

If anything was obvious, it was that she had to leave Arcadia Bay. There was nothing left for her here. She took a few steps towards the exit of the broken up little building, turning to look over her shoulder for one final look at the ruins of the friendships this room has seen. The ruins of what could have been. When she leaves, she leaves the music playing. A dramatic exit to a dramatic performance.

_‘I wish you’d live like you’re made of glass…’_

She’s in tears by the time she reaches the truck, the engine turns over a few times before it actually starts and it reminds her an awful lot of herself. It isn’t until she’s left that she realizes how dangerous she is to herself. Out of desperation, she calls her mom. Its late but the woman answers.

“Hello..? Max?” She sounds worried and Max can’t blame her. She hadn’t called her all week and she knows her mother has been more than concerned since Chloe’s passing. As much as she wants to say something, anything; she can’t. Instead, she listens to her mother’s voice before hanging up and tossing the phone before her. She isn’t the best driver and her current state leaves her even worse off. She sobs, her small hands gripping the steering wheel as if she’s holding onto her life for the first time in so long. Recklessness has become an everyday thing for Max, especially since Chloe’s passing but now she feels the need to be careful.

Once she passes through the city limits of Arcadia Bay, there’s a faint uncertainty that hits her. This town has been hell without Chloe, she has little reason to be there but the memories make it hard to leave. Instead of continuing, she pulls the truck over onto the side of the road just past the town’s exit sign.

“I’m so scared…” She isn’t aware of who she’s talking to at first, for a second she feels that she’s going insane. “Chloe what do I do?!” She screams, punching the worn-out seat. “I just want to see you again, that’s all I want. We could’ve been together…” Grieving is hard, she wants desperately to know how to move on but at the same time she doesn’t think she’ll ever be ready for this sadness to be over. Because even though she’s miserable, she feels less alone. Dwelling in the memories is exhausting but it’s all she has left.

In a last ditch effort, Max grabs her cell phone again. Ignoring the missed calls from her mom, she scrolls down to Chloe’s contact and reluctantly hits the call button. For a second, she thinks that the girl is actually going to answer but after a few moments she hears the voicemail message. Joyce hadn’t had the heart to turn her phone off yet and Max almosts feels guilty because she knows Chloe’s mother must be on the other end.

She’s silent for a second before choking out a sob.

“Oh god, Chloe…I love you so much-” The finalizing words fall from her mouth in a voice that she doesn’t recognize. Shivering from the velocity of how real the situation is, Max almost wants to drop the phone but she doesn’t. “I know what I have to do now, I’m so sorry. I know this probably isn’t what you would’ve wanted but I think I deserve to be a little selfish now.” She laughs, for the first time in so long but it’s not a sound of joy. It’s a throbbing pain and her chest tightens to accommodate the discomfort. Poor decisions are a consequence of crushing misery and she can’t cope with this reality anymore.

She tosses the phone, carelessly pulling the truck back onto the road and back in the direction of Arcadia Bay’s lighthouse. She drives in silence for a few minutes before her head turns and she notices a splotch of graffiti she hadn’t noticed before. It’s as if something is forcing her to look at it. When she squints to read it, she sees that it visibly says “Maybe in another reality”. She scoffs, her eyes brooding at the discovery. The overwhelming sensation of not being alone is with her the whole drive and she can’t decide whether it’s relaxing or distracting so she ignores it.

She walks to the very spot where so many memories had been made that week. It’s liberating in a way, and she can’t help but smile because this feels right for the first time since the last time she was with Chloe.

The water is angry and she can hear it crashing against the rocks but she cannot see much in the dark. Max pulls the camera from her messenger bag and snaps a quick pick of the darkness, the moon is all that’s really visible in the picture but it’s sufficient. She sets the camera and picture down on the bench before stepping towards the cliff.

_“I’ve always wanted my life to be special, an adventure. But not without you.”_

She takes another step so that one of her feet are hanging over the ledge and she desperately wants to make that leap. Her misery would be over in just a second and it’s relieving to think about. It’d be so easy to just stop all of this suffering.

But she doesn’t.

It isn’t even Chloe that’s stopping her, but herself. After all the death and everything they’d been through she can’t stand to think about any more death. The memories of their time together would all be gone and she just couldn’t.

Lunging away from the cliff, she picked up the camera and photo, looking over the various dark hues in the picture for a moment. The darkness pains her and for a moment she’s holding the picture over the edge to drop it in the water but she stops once again. Holding onto it, as a keepsake of how close she came to losing herself.

“I won’t give up on you, Chloe. We’ll be together in another life. I promise.”    

 

   


	2. Technicolor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ❝And the world's technicolor  
> Oh, I'll be chasing angels all my life.❞

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So with the discussions I had with everyone on the first chapter, I felt that this was kind of unfinished. So this is me pulling together the strings and making it what I wanted. Jeez, I really hated the sacrifice Chloe ending and I couldn't rightfully keep Chloe dead :) So hopefully this is okay, I love the idea of life without Chloe not feeling right to Max.

Days seemed to fade out before Max even realized it. When she would finally crawl out of bed, the sun would be setting in the far distance. Whenever she checked her phone, she always hoped to see messages from Chloe; instead she got messages from her other friends but out of consequence she couldn’t bring herself to care. Joyce was struggling too, so she made time to see her a couple times a week. Which usually ended in them crying over plates of pancakes and photo albums of Chloe.

On this particular day when she visited the woman’s house, she didn’t knock. Simply letting herself in. Max found Joyce in Chloe’s room. Cleaning but she didn’t get rid of anything. It was all the way Chloe had left it but it was a lot cleaner now. Joyce looked up, her exhausted eyes softened when she saw the brunette.

“I always hated how that girl smoked in here…but I can’t even get rid of the ash trays, Max.” The woman’s face looked much older than usual, the loss was definitely showing on her features. Not knowing what to say, she simply smiled and wrapped her arms around Joyce.

“Oh Joyce, I know..” Being in here was hard but neither of them left the room. “I wish she were here.” It was simple, small talk like this that usual got them to open up.

“I know, me too.” Her eyes are red now and her lip quivers. “I keep doing her laundry…” She admits, pointing towards the basket of clean clothes. Joyce walks over to it and grabs one of Chloe’s jean jackets that’s covered in iron-on patches. She gently lays it in Max’s lap before sitting down beside her. “You should keep this…you’d look cute in it and its getting colder outside, you know.” She cares, and Max feels an ache in her chest as she feels over the worn fabric.

“Thanks Joyce…” Despite being washed, it still smells like Chloe. Max is silent for a few seconds before working up the courage to talk about their loss. “I loved her…” She admits, hoping that Joyce understands.

“Oh Max, I know. I wish you could’ve been here with her more. I know you had to move but…she was really lost without you.” It hurt, not being able to tell her mom that she’d been there with her that week. She’d fallen in love with her in so many different ways and all she wanted was for the woman to know how much she cared for her daughter.

“If there was anything I could do to bring her back, I would…I’d give up my own life for her’s.” Joyce admits. Max feels an ache in her chest and she feels even more guilty than before because she could’ve saved Chloe, and she didn’t. Max’s brow knits and she’s sobbing into her own hands before long. The woman pulls her into her lap and rubs at her back.

“I should’ve-” Max struggles, choking on her own words. “I should’ve been there for her.” Joyce says nothing but shushes her. “I’d give anything for more time with her.” This time she means it. She’d go back if she knew she could. __  
  


“You did what you could…you were in the bathroom with her when it happened. I’m so sorry you had to see her like that. She was always so full of life, even when things were bad. She was a fighter and now she’s just…/gone/.” She turns away so that Max can’t see her wiping the tears from her eyes with a tissue. Joyce reaches for something and turns back around to hold it out to Max.

“Is this yours..? They gave me all of Chloe’s stuff that they found in the bathroom after they cleaned up the scene.”  Max hesitates at first but when she sees the familiar photograph, her heart pounding out of her chest and her breath going shallow as she reached out for it.

“I thought it was long gone-” Max retorts in a voice that is not her own, she doesn’t feel herself and there’s a cold chill in the room that seems melancholy.

“I don’t know why…I just thought I should give it to you. Call it mother’s intuition but it just feels like it belongs to you.” She smiles warmly and Max is haunted by the fact that she cannot escape this photo. She’d been looking at the situation from her own perspective but now that she was holding this picture again, it was clear that she’d made a mistake.

“Joyce…” Max reaches for the woman’s hand. “You’re an amazing woman, and I’m so, /so/ sorry for not being there when you and Chloe needed me. I should’ve-” She’s cut off and pulled into a quick hug.

“You really loved her.” At this point, Max knows she understands.

“I did. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her.” She smiles, looking at the photo once more.

“You two would’ve taken over the world together, I just know it.” She’s speaking figuratively but Max knows she’s right.

“You’re right...I really miss my pirate sidekick.” She teased, letting out a lighthearted laugh. The butterfly picture felt warm in her hand and she couldn’t put it off any longer.

“Joyce…I gotta go, but thank you so much.”

“Oh, of course, come see me again Max! I know you will.” She feels a pain in her chest as she realizes that if this goes as planned, she won’t.

_‘Though I'll find you in the sand’_

Slipping her arms into the jacket, Max clutches the photo close and makes her way to her- /Chloe’s/, truck. Focusing on the butterfly, she realizes that it hurts so much more than before. Her entire body feels like it’s being ripped apart and her head as if pins and needles are being jabbed into her skin. But finally, she’s there.

 _‘Wipe you clean with dirty hands’_  
  


Back in the bathroom and she almost can’t believe it at first. Letting out a relieved gasp of air, her hands are shaking but she scrambles to grab the hammer that she’d used to break the alarm. This time, however, she’s determining the outcome. Now that she isn’t afraid. When the door swings open and Nathan walks in, Max hid in the corner to wait for him to shut the door. Once he does, she hits him on the head with just enough strength to knock him to the ground. She watches his body fall limp, he’s out cold and she’s never felt so relieved.

Chloe enters the bathroom seconds later and Max is overwhelmed with emotion, almost in tears she reaches for the female.

_‘So god damn this boiling space’_

“Chloe!”

“Max?” There’s disbelief in the girl’s voice and the brunette can’t help but smile. She’s so happy to see her, she wishes there was more time to enjoy this moment but she doesn’t know whether she has another chance at this. She sees Nathan and raises an eyebrow. “What the fuck happened?!”

“He has a gun Chloe, oh god I don’t have time to explain…I hope this fixes it! Just please, go get David!” She orders and she’s thankful that she doesn’t second guess. Feeling light headed, Max reaches to feel her face and there’s blood trickling from her nose.

“No…not yet,” She mumbles, feeling her body collapse out from under her. She lay on the floor, beside Nathan. Her shallow breath making her feel like she was going to die. But when she saw David Madsen enter the bathroom with Chloe, she knew she could let go.

๑

“Max wake up, I’m gonna stop soon.” Chloe mumbles, drowsily.

  “Hm?” When she comes to, she simply freezes. Unsure of what to do. Seeing Chloe again this time feels so surreal, she reaches out to touch her and when she feels her warmth she wants to cry. She lets out a few choked coughs and Chloe laughs gracelessly.  

“Jeez, you did hit your head pretty hard, didn’t you?”

“Chloe, where are we?”

“Dunno. Does it fucking matter anymore?” Blinking in shock, Max lunges towards the driver, throwing her arms around her.

“Easy, killer. You were out pretty hard but I didn’t expect you to miss me that much.”

“This week…month- /whatever/ has been hella rough on me.” Max laughs and Chloe can’t help but do the same.

“Hella? Jeez, you sound like me dude.” But there’s a familiar look in her eyes that Max knows is disappointment.

“What happened, Chloe?”

“You chose me. Over everyone.” She stops the truck, pulling off to the side of the road at a run-down gas station. “Max, why?”

As the events start to come back to her, she tries to come to terms with what’s just happened.

“Sorry Chloe, I’m still really foggy.” Sliding across the seat so that she can wrap both arms around Max, she runs her hands through her hair.

“It’s okay, just take it at your own pace.” Max melts into her touch, her fingers lacing between Chloe’s.

“I saw how things were…without you. It wasn’t the right choice, Chloe. You weren’t supposed to die. You were supposed to live! We were wrong from the beginning. Fuck…I saw you die so many times and I should’ve known.” Chloe seems shocked but Max has been in a state of shock since being reunited with her. She’d been separated from her for weeks and now they were together again. It seemed too good to be true until she remembered the horror they’d left Arcadia Bay in.

“What do you mean, Max?” She sits up straight, stretching but her hand never leaves Chloe’s.

“It’d take me so long to explain and I’m just so happy to have you back now, can’t we focus on that?”

“I need answers…I feel like shit, max. It’s my fault.”

“it’s not! I promise.” She traces over the lines on Chloe’s palm. “When I saw the world without you, it seemed normal at first but I noticed little things…weren’t right.”

“Like what?”

“He wasn’t there, Chloe. I don’t know where he was…Whenever I asked Joyce about him, she changed the topic.” The blue-haired female’s eyebrows knit in confusion and Max repeats the gesture.

“Hell, your mom…she cleaned your room constantly. Like-…I don’t think I saw her outside of your house.”

“She was grieving.”

“No, Chloe.” Her voice cracked and she shocked herself. Where was all of this knowledge coming from? She didn’t remember it from the reality where Chloe had died. “I don’t think she could leave the house. It felt like a dream.”

“I’m lost.”

“Warren didn’t text me once. I don’t think he remembered me. I saw him at your funeral and he just…didn’t speak. I don’t know-”

“Shit, Max. If he wasn’t up your ass then something was definitely wrong.”

“I almost killed myself.” She admitted, horror falls over Chloe’s features and she frowns; looking away in disgust.

“I’m so sorry…how-”

“I think I was stuck in between realities…somedays, it felt like you were there with me.” She admits, horrified by all of these sudden realizations. “I don’t know who I am anymore, Chloe.” But when the female’s hand is on her cheek, this feels real. This moment, being the only natural feeling moment she’s had in so long.

“It’s gonna be okay…” She doesn’t know that it’s going to be but hearing Chloe say this brings her comfort. “I’d never want you to hurt yourself Max.” The sincerity in her voice makes it obvious how authentic this interaction is, leaving Max feel at ease for the first time in so long.

“The photo-” Chloe holds up the picture of the butterfly.

“You gave it back to me when you decided to pick me-…what should we do with it?” When Max sees it, she panics. Worried this reality is fake but when she holds the picture it doesn’t feel warm like it did before. She studies it momentarily before ripping it into multiple pieces and tossing it out the window. Chloe watches her, but

“Your mom-…she gave it to me before. When she spoke, her voice sounded hollow.” Max knew Chloe wouldn’t understand but it felt good to talk about it. It was a relief knowing that Chloe was the right choice, even if she’d doubted herself in the beginning. “I don’t know how she even got it…I know she told me but I can’t remember,” Max muttered, holding her forehead for the headache she expected to get.

“That’s hella creepy, I’m getting chills.”

“What happened when the storm came?”

“We waited it out at the lighthouse in my truck. You didn’t really talk much…then when we were looking around town, you passed out. We didn’t find anyone, so I just threw you in my truck and we drove away.” For once, Max has a secret she can’t wait to see Chloe react to.

“We kissed.” She murmurs calmly. Chloe’s eyes light up at first as if she thinks it’s a joke but after a few seconds, it sets in and her cheeks burn a rosy color.

“You mean in my room when I dared you?”

“No, it was a real one.” Max laughs softly before reaching out to press a finger to Chloe’s chapped lips.

“You were…really good at it.” She feels guilty for getting sidetracked but she can’t help herself.

“Well…I guess some good of it came then, huh?” Chloe’s laugh echoes through the truck, louder this time as she becomes visibly embarrassed. For once, Max is the straightforward one. The one ready to just be with Chloe.

So, she kisses her, her lips press to Chloe’s softly and her hands rest on either side of her neck to hold her there. Chloe leans into the kiss, gently pushing Max back so that her head is rested against the armrest on the door. One of her hands clenches into the fabric of Max’s shirt to give a light, excited tug. Dazed by the moment, Max forgets how to breathe. Her heart thumping hard in her chest as Chloe’s body is pressed to her’s. Max bites the girl's lip, eliciting a quiet, satisfied moan from her. Her fingers are tangled into blue hair now and it’s shocking to her how quickly the rebel on top of her melts. She’d never expected Chloe to be so gentle with her but the larger female is treating her as if she’ll break, affectionately trailing her fingers over her torso to coil into one of the belt loops on her jeans. They parted momentarily, to look into each other's eyes. There's a sudden spark there, that she'd never looked for before. Max is about to speak but this time it was Chloe that closes the space between their lips. Kissing her enough to consume all of her thoughts, Max tilted her head to the side as she’d seen in adult movies…which yes, she had seen a lot of. Shockingly. 

One of her arms draped around Chloe’s shoulders so she could hold herself up, she kissed a trail down Max's neck. Getting carried away in this downtime they had together, she left a path of small hickeys onto her collarbone.

In this moment, none of the crazy shit they’d been through over however much time had passed mattered. The closeness felt like something that’d been building across multiple lifetimes in many different ways. IF there were other Chloe’s and Max’s out there, Max really hoped they were together and happy. She hoped they knew how much the other meant. She made a mental note to write this feeling down in her journal. Wherever it was, if it existed still. She wanted to remember this kiss until the end of time.   

The windows were fogged over and when they finally pulled themselves apart, Max’s neck was sore and Chloe was complaining about how cramped the cab of the truck is. But they eventually got back on the road. Max’s hand rested in Chloe’s as she drove, she felt inseparable from the female now. Even more than before, if that were possible.

“So what’s your synopsis, Mad Max? Where do we go next?”

“I don’t know, Chloe. I’m not sure what will happen next but we’re together and I’ll do anything to keep it that way.”

“You’re like my hella cute guardian angel, Max.” Max smiled despite the possibility of this being true.

“Yeah I guess so. You’re my rebellious, devoted sidekick.”

“I don’t bring much to the table do I?” She teased, Max shook her head.

“I don’t want to think about where I was at without you…” She frowns and Chloe squeezes her hand.

Although not certain, Chloe speaks up. “You never have to again. I promise.”

When she thinks back to the reality she was in before, if it could even be called that, she remembers the conversation with Joyce.

“Your mom…she would’ve wanted this. Don’t feel guilty for being alive. She told me she’d have sacrificed herself for you.” She sighs, resting her head against Chloe’s arm. The driver frowns, letting out an anxious sigh but she believes Max.

“I know…she would’ve wanted me alive more than anything. I know that much. I just wish I could save her too.” Max doesn't know how to respond to this, knowing that her and Chloe will both have to learn to move on. 

“I told her I loved you…I think she knew what I meant.” Chloe lights up at this, proud of Max for being so self-confident about their bond. After so long of being left behind by everyone she cared about, Max really seemed to be turning her luck around.

“Damn Max, you’re really caught up on me. Aren’t you?”

Taking this moment seriously, Max nods.  
“I am…I don’t care if this storm chases us for the rest of our lives, I’m not letting you go.” Letting an entire town go to waste seemed selfish at first glance but not everyone was as deserving as Chloe. The universe had fucked her over countless times and Max couldn’t help but feel that she deserved some retribution.

“I don’t know what I did to deserve you Max…you’re a hella great friend-” She pauses awkwardly. After the makeout session they’d had, it felt wrong to call them just friends anymore. But even if they were more, they were still also best friends. It was strange how love and the universe worked that way. Instead of replacing their friendship, they were just building on top of it. “More than that. You and I are…like destiny.” She admits boldly, laughing at how corny it all sounds. But Max understands and has come to terms with the cliché boundaries of their relationship.

“You’re my everything now, Chloe. I can’t lose you.”

She turns to look at her partner in crime before looking towards the road ahead.

“I just couldn’t stand leaving you there on that bathroom floor. You would’ve died without knowing how I felt about you…I couldn’t do that,” She’s tearing up again, and she knows she’ll be this way for awhile. It’s worth it.

“I get it…I was really resentful towards you for a long time, Max. I’m glad I got a second chance.”

“Chloe you’re like a cat, I think you’re on your 5th life at least.” She teased, laughing quietly.

“You’re right I suppose. But I don’t want to be a cat.” She mutters in response, and it appears she’s deep in thought. “If I were an animal, I’d wanna be a bird.” She gets deeper into her emotions and Max learns more about the person she thought she knew completely. Chloe’s shoulders shrug and Max can tell that she’s uncomfortable talking about this. “I felt caged in Arcadia Bay. I mean…without you. It’s like you’re the one that came and opened the cage. You gave me a purpose to fight, I don’t even know how to thank you for that.”

“I don’t think you need to thank me. It’s fate, y’know? I think the universe has plans for us, Chloe.” She cringes at how theatrical she sounds.

“Okay, drama queen. So we’re like Batmax and Blue Robin then right?”

“Bigger than that. Batman couldn’t alter space and time. And Robin wasn't a kickass sidekick with a charming smile.” Chloe’s lips curve into a grin and she has confidence in their future.

"You think my smile is charming?" 

"Duh." Max's heart feels as though it's half melted chocolate in the sun. She's desperately pulling at straws when it comes to this romance stuff and Chloe, whether she knows it or not, is pushing all of her buttons. 

“I guess we’re finally having that adventure we always wanted, Mad Max.”

“I guess we are.”

The bright oranges and pinks in the sky fade away to black and the truck’s headlights cut through the thick night. They spend the car ride talking about anything and everything. It feels oddly parallel to that of a fairy tale ending and as much as they both want to question why this feels too good to be true, they don’t. All that matters is that they’re together.

 

_"Wherever I end up after this... in whatever reality... all those moments between us were real, and they'll always be ours."_


End file.
